Longmont police discover grenades in car trunk

LONGMONT -- Longmont police on Wednesday afternoon found a military-grade fragmentation grenade and a smoke grenade in the trunk of a car they stopped near 21st Avenue and Terry Street.

The discovery prompted the closure of 21st Avenue from Yeager Drive to just west of Main Street for most of the afternoon. The Boulder County Bomb Squad used a remotely controlled robot to safely remove a backpack with the grenades from the car Wednesday evening.

Police stopped the car with the grenades at 1:13 p.m. Wednesday, according to Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur. The passenger, Bernardo Rodriguez, 26, was arrested on a felony warrant for failure to appear on burglary charges and on suspicion of possessing explosive devices. The driver of the silver Dodge Stratus, 29-year-old Jessica Radford, was arrested on suspicion of possessing explosive devices and for driving without a license.

Rodriguez
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The vehicle stop stemmed from the arrest of Dana Sacoman, 25, earlier Wednesday. Sacoman was being sought on suspicion of a string of burglaries Dec. 3 at three homes on the 500 block of Copeland Way, one home on the 400 block of Verdant Circle, and one home on the 600 block of Elliot Street. Police believe he stole several items from the homes, including a purse, tools, a laptop, a wallet with credit cards, change, computer speakers and track lighting.

Officers arrested Sacoman on suspicion of burglary at 10:28 a.m. Wednesday at his home at 2231 Emery St., Apartment B.

Rodriguez, who also lived in the apartment, was wanted on a warrant for an unrelated burglary. Officers saw him leaving the home and stopped the car at 21st Avenue and Terry Street. A search of the trunk revealed the grenades.

Radford
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Satur said the grenades appeared to be intact with explosive devices and had not been tampered with. Police later learned the grenades had been stolen in a burglary. A homeowner in the 2200 block of Meadow Street contacted police after he saw a news story about the explosives, checked his shed and found that his replica fragmentation grenade and smoke grenade had been stolen. According to police, the homeowner believes the fragmentation grenade is inert, and the smoke grenade contains live agent.

The Boulder County Bomb Squad also searched the apartment on Emery Street. No explosives were found, but Satur said officers recovered evidence that may link Sacoman to additional burglaries.

Sacoman

He said officers are investigating whether Rodriguez and Radford were involved in the Dec. 3 burglaries.

"We still have a lot of work ahead of us before we can file charges," Satur said.

Also on Wednesday, another man seen leaving Sacoman's apartment, Michael Chavez, was arrested at 1:17 p.m. on suspicion of possessing heroin.

Foster Health & Wellness Center, 2051 Terry St., and Elevations Credit Union, 777 21st Ave., were evacuated as a precaution while the bomb squad secured the area. By 6:15 p.m., 21st Avenue was opened in both directions.

Members of the Boulder County Bomb Squad investigate items in a car near the intersection of Terry Street and 21st Avenue on Wednesday. Police blocked 21st Avenue at Terry Street while they searched the car for explosive devices. For more photos and video visit www.TimesCall.com.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)